I once spoke to a magician (when I was obsessed with card tricks in my youth) who told me that all tricks should be “made to look easy and effortless”.
"The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled." - The Prestige
Whether something is art, science, or even both may be a matter of perspective. The audience watching the magician's act revels in the artistry of the performance; meanwhile, the magician spends unseen hours, days, even months refining the technical details, perfecting their craft into art worthy of the stage.
I see science *as* art in many cases. As a consumer of software, I'm able to appreciate the fluid responsiveness of an app, or the seamlessness of a well-designed user experience. However, from the perspective of a software engineer, I also enjoy learning about the processes that make it all possible. There's an art to stringing together a myriad of pieces into a greater whole.
I also think that humans are innately attracted to simplicity, elegance, and "stories". Most people are consumers of art, and therefore only see the end result. For them, it's enough. The final product is what ultimately gets taken in and enjoyed, judged and admired.
What's hidden is the process, which may be less captivating -- the "magic" is lost. With that said, I think people do like hearing about the more inexplicable things behind the art -- a sudden stroke of inspiration that leads to a song being written at 3am, or the symbolic meaning behind a painted tree. Learning about the more involved technical workings behind the magic is something only other magicians (or aspiring magicians) may be interested in...
If this is a ramble, it is an awfully tidy and insightful one; thanks for sharing!
This post reminded me of an interview with jazz pianist Bill Evans where he says that a crying baby is expressing itself no doubt, but that doesn't mean that it is making music. I think you make a good point that art cannot be reduced to expression alone.
Your post also reminded me of the composer John Cage's quote, " I have nothing to say and I am saying it and that is poetry as I need it."
There's a really cool interview with Bill Evans you can find on YouTube. I believe the interviewer is actually his brother funnily enough. It's in black and white since it's earlier in his career. If that's not the one you're referring to then I'd definitely recommend checking it out. He's one of my favourite pianists and has a fascinating mind.
Yes lots of thoughts! But first- well done! I love the examples you’ve used.
Of course, as an astrologer, I am constantly reminding people that astrology is an art (really a language) and not a science. The logical mind wants very badly to make sense of it, but the moment you try to make it a science… well… that’s why we have astronomy separate from astrology. So with that being said, I find it interesting that astronomy is not personalized- it’s all of our solar system, all of our galaxy, but astrology is so personalized you need a birth time and location in order to run a chart.
I think as a collective we are rediscovering the power of imagination. For me, it’s a balance of knowing that facts are dependent on who you trust and belief is something so much different. At times, for many, belief is even more powerful than the truth.
"I think as a collective we are rediscovering the power of imagination." - this is a beautiful notion. I think we deem something an art form when it has many elements (too many) that can't be quantified and measured easily.
I remember being on holiday in Fuerteventura when I was younger and striking gold, twice. The hotel TV played There Will Be Blood on one occasion and The Prestige another, both of which became two of my favourite films. That quote you used really took me back to that moment of seeing it for the first time and having my mind blown.
I watched a behind the scenes documentary on the making of Lord of the Rings recently. To me that’s an example of the behind the scenes, the “process”, being as magical as the finished project. So sometimes the mechanics can be beautiful, sometimes the mechanics are art.
Beautifully put. Einstein's thought experiments are elegant indeed. Whenever I hear them described I'm struck by their visual nature. He takes abstract concepts and plays with them in an almost physical way in his mind.
That's a very good example. Doctors are often presented with the most common versions of an illness. That can make it more difficult to view people on a case by case basis and take into account their specific symptoms, which may not fit into the usual boxes. I was speaking with a doctor about this recently and she said that they try to counteract this (in her country) by hitting home the importance of asking the patient to tell them as much information as possible. Similarly, they urge the patients to bring this mindset with them any time they visit a doctor.
"The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled." - The Prestige
Whether something is art, science, or even both may be a matter of perspective. The audience watching the magician's act revels in the artistry of the performance; meanwhile, the magician spends unseen hours, days, even months refining the technical details, perfecting their craft into art worthy of the stage.
I see science *as* art in many cases. As a consumer of software, I'm able to appreciate the fluid responsiveness of an app, or the seamlessness of a well-designed user experience. However, from the perspective of a software engineer, I also enjoy learning about the processes that make it all possible. There's an art to stringing together a myriad of pieces into a greater whole.
I also think that humans are innately attracted to simplicity, elegance, and "stories". Most people are consumers of art, and therefore only see the end result. For them, it's enough. The final product is what ultimately gets taken in and enjoyed, judged and admired.
What's hidden is the process, which may be less captivating -- the "magic" is lost. With that said, I think people do like hearing about the more inexplicable things behind the art -- a sudden stroke of inspiration that leads to a song being written at 3am, or the symbolic meaning behind a painted tree. Learning about the more involved technical workings behind the magic is something only other magicians (or aspiring magicians) may be interested in...
If this is a ramble, it is an awfully tidy and insightful one; thanks for sharing!
This post reminded me of an interview with jazz pianist Bill Evans where he says that a crying baby is expressing itself no doubt, but that doesn't mean that it is making music. I think you make a good point that art cannot be reduced to expression alone.
Your post also reminded me of the composer John Cage's quote, " I have nothing to say and I am saying it and that is poetry as I need it."
Cheers!
There's a really cool interview with Bill Evans you can find on YouTube. I believe the interviewer is actually his brother funnily enough. It's in black and white since it's earlier in his career. If that's not the one you're referring to then I'd definitely recommend checking it out. He's one of my favourite pianists and has a fascinating mind.
Yes lots of thoughts! But first- well done! I love the examples you’ve used.
Of course, as an astrologer, I am constantly reminding people that astrology is an art (really a language) and not a science. The logical mind wants very badly to make sense of it, but the moment you try to make it a science… well… that’s why we have astronomy separate from astrology. So with that being said, I find it interesting that astronomy is not personalized- it’s all of our solar system, all of our galaxy, but astrology is so personalized you need a birth time and location in order to run a chart.
I think as a collective we are rediscovering the power of imagination. For me, it’s a balance of knowing that facts are dependent on who you trust and belief is something so much different. At times, for many, belief is even more powerful than the truth.
"I think as a collective we are rediscovering the power of imagination." - this is a beautiful notion. I think we deem something an art form when it has many elements (too many) that can't be quantified and measured easily.
c’est la vie 🙃
Beautiful comment.
I remember being on holiday in Fuerteventura when I was younger and striking gold, twice. The hotel TV played There Will Be Blood on one occasion and The Prestige another, both of which became two of my favourite films. That quote you used really took me back to that moment of seeing it for the first time and having my mind blown.
I watched a behind the scenes documentary on the making of Lord of the Rings recently. To me that’s an example of the behind the scenes, the “process”, being as magical as the finished project. So sometimes the mechanics can be beautiful, sometimes the mechanics are art.
Beautifully put. Einstein's thought experiments are elegant indeed. Whenever I hear them described I'm struck by their visual nature. He takes abstract concepts and plays with them in an almost physical way in his mind.
Precisely yes! There is a sense of playfulness to him and his mind. There’s wisdom in that.
That's a very good example. Doctors are often presented with the most common versions of an illness. That can make it more difficult to view people on a case by case basis and take into account their specific symptoms, which may not fit into the usual boxes. I was speaking with a doctor about this recently and she said that they try to counteract this (in her country) by hitting home the importance of asking the patient to tell them as much information as possible. Similarly, they urge the patients to bring this mindset with them any time they visit a doctor.